Efficacy of direct-acting antiviral regimens for acute HCV infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Acute and recently acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection clusters in men who have sex with men living with HIV and in people who inject drugs, where early cure benefits both the individual and transmission control. The best interferon-free dual direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimen and treatment duration, including short courses, remain undefined.

MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to 1 July 2026 for studies of interferon-free dual-DAA therapy in acute or recently acquired HCV reporting SVR12. Each study was appraised as a single-arm case series, and proportions were pooled by random-intercept logistic regression. Pre-specified subgroups were regimen, treatment duration, study design, and HIV status.